Harry Potter and the Hunters Three (discontinued)
by kookiefluffle
Summary: When Voldemort chooses to hide his comeback from the world, Dumbledore decides the best thing to do is train the students. To do so, he hires three of the most notorious beings in the world. Team Free Will. ((Inspired by tumblr post that is the cover))
1. Chapter 1

The Golden Trio were perplexed to say the least. They had been under the impression – what with the slander Harry had been facing and the ridiculous farce of a trial he had faced that summer – that the ministry would be sending an official of their own to pose as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. At least, that's what Professor Dumbledore had hinted the week before the group had left Grimmauld Place.

Now, however, hushed conversations bounced about the walls of the Great Hall. Professor Dumbledore had just announced that their new Defence teachers would be arriving from America, and though they could not make it for the Welcoming Feast, they would be present for the first DADA lesson. The topic of conversation for most of the student body was the plural of 'they' that the Professor had used. Not 'he', not 'she', but _'they'_. That meant there'd be more than one teacher.

The more ignorant of the students, who were willingly oblivious to Voldemort's return, were confused as to why they needed more than one teacher. Those who were on the side of the Dark Lord perked up, listening out for new information that could be helpful to their master. And those who were aware of the dangers that were now out in the UK, what with the return of said dark wizard, were anticipating the extra training this would provide, as that was no doubt Dumbledore's motive.

Needless to say, most of the students were very excited about the coming school week (something not many people could truthfully claim to be).

_**(break)**_

'Do you think they'll be any good?' Ron asked Hermione, leaning forward over his desk. She turned around in her seat to face he and Harry, Neville beside her tuning into the conversation as she tapped his arm to get him involved.

'Well, what with the upcoming dangers, I can only assume they will be. Dumbledore would be really careful while screening the new teachers this year, considering the circumstances,' Hermione intoned. She left her doubts about the teachers unsaid… after all, in their four years at Hogwarts, only Professor Lupin had been a good teacher, and even he (as much as she hated to say it) was a questionable choice due to his 'furry little problem'. 'They're late though. Not the best start for the year…'.

Harry opened his mouth, about to reply, when he was cut off by the door slamming open. In walked, or rather prowled, three giant men. Not giant like Hagrid, there appeared to be no mixed heritage from the three. More giant in the fact that they were all exceptionally tall, especially to the still growing students as they sat at their desks.

The three men, one of whom was dressed differently than the other two, walked in step with each other – just like trained soldiers. They had an aura of intensity and danger about them, not dissimilar to Mad-Eye Moody's own aura.

It was evident to all the students in the room; the three men were exceptionally dangerous.

'Alright kiddos',' the man in the leather jacket said as they walked up to the front. The three stopped in front of the chalkboard, the tallest picking up chalk, while the one in the trench coat fell into position by the man (who was clearly the leader of the group).

He continued. 'My name is Dean Winchester. You will call me Dean, none of that professor crap,' he ordered, ignoring the raised eyebrows and gasps of the students. He pointed at the tallest man, who had diligently written the name on the board. 'This is my little brother Sammy. You will call him Sam, as only _I_ call him Sammy.' He grinned at Sam cheekily, not oblivious to the swooning of the females who were now grasping just how handsome the new teachers were.

'And finally, this is Castiel,' Dean intoned, pointing to the man in the trench coat.

The man, strikingly handsome with exceptionally blue eyes, looked out at the students. Harry stiffened when the man's gaze stopped on him, and Hermione worried her bottom lip. Castiel's head tilted comically to the side, somewhat like a puppy's, as he continued to stare at Harry. His eyes swirled with wisdom, seemed to be further aged than his body.

'What?!' Harry snapped, unnerved by the attention from the tall man.

Castiel snapped out of his daze, and a small smile graced his beautiful face (queue more swooning). 'I'm sorry,' he said, his voice gravelly and shiver-inducing. He looked towards Dean, for the man had noticed the interaction and had paused his monologue. Hermione and Ron shared looks with Neville and Harry. Castiel didn't seem like he was apologising just for the staring, there was a deeper meaning behind the words.

The younger Winchester stepped forward. 'We have been invited by the Headmaster to teach Defence here because the Headmaster believes that you all need some more skill in dealing with… dangerous situations,' he informed the class. 'We can per-' he continued, before he was interrupted.

'Why should the Headmaster think that?' Pansy Parkinson asked, her nasal voice cutting over the deep timbre of Sam's. 'There's no reason we should do that, and I'm sure my parents would be disappointed to hear that the Headmaster is wasting resources on hiring three teachers for something so ridiculous!' she said, leaning back in her seat, crossing her arms with a smug smile stretched across her face. Many Gryffindor's that didn't want to believe the Dark Lord had returned silently agreed, Seamus Finnigan even visibly nodded his head – Pansy was sure her master would be happy that she was protecting his secret return.

Dean stepped forward, eyebrows furrowed. His tone dark, he snapped, 'Alright, let's get this clear. You've got an evil wizard running around the UK right now and we're here to teach you to protect yourselves.' Pansy looked as if she was about to reply, when Dean held his hand up. 'No, keep it schtum. I didn't ask for an answer, if you want to say anything, you will put your hand up like a _good_ student.'

Sam took over. 'Look, we get it,' he said, looking at each and every student. 'You're scared; you don't want to admit that something so horrible is happening. But your Headmaster, he's a venerable wizard right? He's respected because he defeated a Dark Wizard, he's even known for being a genius. So why would you think that he's lying right now?' The students looked down at their desks, avoiding his gaze, but cogs were whirring in their heads.

'Not only that, but if it is true, then choosing to be oblivious will only hurt you. And, if you're right and he is lying, then extra training isn't going to harm you in any way is it?' Sam asked, smiling at the class.

Many of them looked less disagreeable now – though that may have been more because of Sam's smile and charisma, than his argument – and sat up straighter in their seats.

'Okay. So, this year you guys have your O. . That stand for Ordinary Wizarding Levels. You will work on the magic portion of this with Cas, because he can actually do your branch of magic. Me and Dean will be taking over your physical training. We will also be teaching you how to maim and kill creatures that have gone dark side. The three of us have decided that the best way to do this is to alternate lessons. Magic on Mondays, creature lore on Wednesdays, and physical on Fridays so that you can rest over the weekend.'

Dean stepped forward again, and the other two naturally flanked him. He looked out at the students. 'We will be training you for your own good. You may not believe that this dark lord douchebag is back, but our training will help you in life regardless. Any homework we give you will be necessary, and we will expect you to put effort in. We are here this year as a _favour_ to a good friend, so don't waste our time.'

The school bell sounded through the classroom, indicating the end of the lesson. The students began to gather up their stuff, muttering amongst themselves. They were all planning to tell their friends about the three new professors, many of those with contacts planning to find out more about the Winchesters and their friend who was not given a last name.

'Harry Potter, if you could remain behind please? Your friends may stay too,' Castiel called out, before the Trio could leave the room.

The rest of the students left, Harry holding onto Neville's arm to keep him back. Neville, though surprised, didn't question it. Harry himself couldn't tell him why he felt the need to keep the clumsy boy in the room, but the young celebrity felt that he needed to keep Neville close.

'You and your closest friends are being offered extra training on Saturday's,' Sam informed them. 'Look, we get it man. Life is shit, especially when the world is riding on your ass. We've heard this Voldemort guy is really out for your blood, and that means that he'll go after your friends and family.'

Clearing his throat, Dean added, 'you don't have to do this training if you don't want to. The option is there though.'

The four students looked at each other, then moved over to the side. The general consensus was that the training would be beneficial, and Hermione intoned that she could find out more about the professors in this way.

After agreeing to the extra lessons, and telling the three professors that they would be provided with a list of students who would be present, the Gryffindor's left the room.

After the door had closed, Dean turned to his angel.

'How bad is it Cas?'

'Bad Dean. I believe that if you had seen what I had, you would be saying 'son of a bitch' right now,' Castiel said, tone grave.

'Son of bitch…'.

 ** _A/N so, this entire chapter was in the point of view of Hogwarts students, but the rest of the chapters will be from the point of view of the hunters+angel._**


	2. Chapter 2

Team Free Will (a name that had seemed to stick to the trio) walked into the Headmaster's office for their official briefing after the day's classes had ended. Due to their late entrance to the UK thanks to a delayed flight, they had been unable to fully talk to the venerable man before their first lesson; a quick hello, and they had rushed to the lesson with the fifth years. The only information they had about the yearlong case, as Dean thought of it, was what Bobby had told them when asking them to take it. That an evil wizard – no, not the type that made a deal for magic, but rather one that was born with it – was trying to take over Britain, and that an old contact has asked for help. Seeing as the power-hungry wizard probably wouldn't be happy until world domination, the Winchesters agreed; not soon after, the angel had informed the brothers that the case was more important than they thought, that the survival of the boy named Harry was essential in life's plan, and that he would explain more at a later date.

'Ah, gentlemen, please take a seat', the old man behind the desk said. The two men and one celestial being surveyed the powerful figure in front of them: eccentrically dressed, long white beard that made him look like the Merlin in the old Disney movie, and twinkling blue eyes behind glasses, the kind that seemed to see past all of your walls and into your minds recesses. Dean decided he didn't like the old wizard; he gave him the heebie-jeebies. Judging by Sam's demeanour to the left of him, and Castiel's sudden stiffening to his right, they both agreed with his silent assessment.

'Could you please refrain from attempting to enter the minds of my friends?' Castiel snapped, tone harsh and face stony. 'I myself have placed shields around their minds, I will feel any attempted intrusions', he informed Dumbledore.

Dean growled low in his throat, angry that the man had tried to intrude on he and Sammy. 'Dude, what the fuck? If you want us to help you out, you can't do shit like that', he griped, half rising from his seat and ready to storm out of the room. A steadying hand was placed over his own, and he turned to look at Cas. _Wait, let's see what he says_ Cas seemed to be conveying through his look. He sat back down with a huff.

'I apologise', Dumbledore smiled, trying to placate them. 'You can never be too careful about people's motives when it comes to young Harry these days, and it's become somewhat of a habit to scan for malignant thoughts', he explained, before lifting a clear bowl with sweets inside and offered it to them. 'Lemon drops?'.

All three declined, now warier of the wizard.

'Well, on to business then', Dumbledore said after clearing his throat. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk in front of him, suddenly becoming more serious. 'As far as I am aware, your class structures are fine, I'm certain you will do well as teachers despite lack of experience. From what I've already heard from the students who had classes with you today, you've made quite the impression on a lot of them, even convincing some that Voldemort has indeed returned'. He stared down at the three in front of him, eyes sparking behind his half-moon spectacles. 'I have also heard that you have offered Harry and his friends extra training, is that correct?' he asked.

'Yeah, we figured the kid would do good with it', Dean said. 'I mean; it can't hurt for him to be better prepared right? Seeing as Voldemort or whatever seems to be baying for the boy's blood'.

'I agree, thank you for the insight. I do wonder at the extended offer to his friends however, it seems like a lot of work', Dumbledore said.

'Oh, that's okay', Sam piped up. 'We don't mind the extra work. We know that the dark side will probably go after Harry's friends, that's kind of how they work. It's best that anyone close to Harry be prepared so that the kid won't have to deal with the guilt of any… casualties.' The other two nodded in agreement, not mentioning that Cas had asked the brothers to offer the lessons with a promise of later explanation. The Winchesters knew that Cas (as an angel) knew a lot more than he led on about the situation, and expected answers as soon as they were in their rooms.

'I see', Dumbledore said. He stared down at the three, perhaps believing that his teacher authority would cow Team Free Will into revealing their secrets, but the silence just stretched in the room. A sudden flash of light filled the room, and with a musical trill, Fawkes appeared on his perch. With an uplifting tune, the phoenix flew over to Castiel and perched upon his lap.

 _'Hello Fawkes',_ Castiel greeted the bird.

 _'Hello Castiel',_ a melodic voice replied directly into the angel's mind.

 _'I see what you mean about your bonded Fawkes, he has a stain hovering around him that I can't quite place or understand',_ Castiel spoke back. As the Winchester's were used to his quirks, he didn't worry about their reactions to his staring match with the bird; Dumbledore, however, stared in interest.

 _'I am now even gladder I contacted you then. Do you think you can help him? My tears could not heal him',_ Fawkes informed the angel, looking down in shame.

 _'Yes, I will talk to Dean and Sam about it later today, and we will figure something out',_ Castiel promised, before adding, _'do you know if he bugged our rooms with listening devices?'._

 _'Yes, expect monitoring devices to be there. I suggest scrambling the devices, instead of completely blocking them. Then Albus will simply hear mundane conversations instead of anything important',_ the creature said.

 _'Of course, thank you Fawkes',_ Castiel replied, before looking up at the wizard and speaking aloud. 'You have a very intelligent friend here professor'.

Dumbledore's eyebrows rose, and he glanced at Fawkes who was now in Sam's lap and having his breast stroked by the hunter (who looked to be awed by the experience). 'Yes, Fawkes is a joy and unendingly loyal companion', he agreed. 'I was not aware he could speak to those other than his bonded though'.

'It's because of my celestial powers', Castiel told the man with an awkward smile. 'I can speak to various magical creatures', he said – they had all decided that while the man was a contact of Bobby's, there was no reason that he should know too much about how they worked.

'I see', Dumbledore said. 'Thank you for meeting with me gentlemen'.

With that clear dismissal, the three men bid adieu to the wizard and the phoenix, and promptly left the room.

'Alright, what was up with that thing with the bird Cas?' Dean blurted as soon as they entered their rooms. Cas held a finger to his lip, indicating that Dean should be quiet, and then indicated to the room in general. Dean quietened, eyes slightly widening at his slip-up. Nodding to the angel, both he and Sam watched as the celestial being dug out a wand from his trench pockets. Cas mumbled words under his breath, waving the wand around, making sure to go around the whole place.

The rooms were pretty nice. As they were teachers' quarters, they were fairly large, and the headmaster had given them a family unit. Three bedrooms, one shared bathroom, and a common seating area. No kitchen, but that would be fine as they had been informed that all meals were taken in the Great Hall – and should they get peckish, they could just go to the kitchens.

Castiel re-entered the common area, flopping down on the couch with a groan.

Dean looked at Sam before going over to the sofa. Dropping onto it, he sat next to his partner, and took Cas' smaller hand into his own larger and more calloused hands. 'Cas, what it is?' he asked, concerned. His lover looked tired, and his eyes had lost some of their spark.

Cas turned towards him, pushing his face into the crook of Dean's face, nuzzling it. Sam sat on the chair across from the sofa, now used to the actions of his brother and his partner, and waited for Cas to reply.

Sighing, Cas looked up at the two. One of Dean's hands reached up to stroke through Cas' dark hair in a calming gesture, and the angel began to talk.

'Father, this is bad. I didn't realise how bad everything was', Cas moaned, gripping Dean's hand tightly.

'Cas, an explanation please?' Sam prompted, and Dean shot him a _shut up_ look.

'Look, just as you two were assigned a prophet and a destiny that seriously impacted the world, Harry Potter was given the same. However, his case was difference because a prophecy was made about him, and events occurred – what happened after those events were not written or planned', Cas sighed. 'Harry Potter is in more danger than we in heaven realised, and it is imperative that he survive. He is suffering from serious malnutrition, and he has an exceptionally low self-esteem. He cannot fulfil his destiny while he's so self-deprecating, and he certainly can't do so with his family circumstances. We have to do something about this Dean, we _have_ to'.

Dean soothed his partner, massaging his scalp as he stroked his hair. 'We will Cas, we'll do whatever we need', he promised. 'Now, what was the deal with the flaming chicken?' he asked.

'God Dean', Sam glared. 'That was a phoenix! An actual phoenix! I've read the lore about them, and get this', he started excitedly, hands flailing. 'Phoenixes can heal with their tears Dean, and they can carry huge weights, _and_ they can't really die! When they die, their bodies burn up, and they're reborn from the ashes! And get this Dean, they are pure symbols of good! The phoenix earlier let me touch it Dean, it sat on my lap…' Sam drew off.

Dean smiled softly at his younger brother, who was deep in thought. The older Winchester had always known that his younger brother was the epitome of good, but Sammy never saw himself the way Dean did. Maybe now, with the phoenixes actions, he'd see himself in a better light.

'That's great Sammy', Dean started. 'But can we talk about why Cas was staring at the thing like he knew it?' he continued (after getting to know his partner's facial expressions, he had recognised the recognition on Cas' face when he looked at the bird).

'Fawkes is one of the reason's I wanted you to take this case', Cas informed them. 'Not only do we have to help Harry, but Fawkes contacted me a while before Bobby told us about the case. He told me about Dumbledore, and that he was worried because the wizard was acting strange. Since he's such a strong being, I knew that we had to fix things, because if Dumbledore goes dark side – as you would put it – then we could be in a lot of danger'. The angel slumps down, leaning his head on Dean's lap and stares up at his partner's face.

'So, you're telling me that not only do we have to teach seven different year groups how to fight evil, we also have to help a pubescent teenager with his emotions and self-hate, as well as providing extra training, and on top of that sort out an exceptionally strong wizard that could be turning evil, not even considering _all_ the extra crap that is guaranteed to be thrown our way?' Sam clarified, tone incredulous – after all, Cas hadn't told them just _how_ serious the case was, or how much work they's have to put in.

At Castiel's nod from his position on Dean's legs, Sam sighed.

'Then I'm off to bed. I have a feeling sleep will be a luxury this year', the tall man said before entering his bedroom.

The two men left over glanced at each other with soft eyes. 'Let's go to bed Cas, I could use some shut-eye', Dean said, intertwining his fingers with the smaller mans. Cas nodded and the two silently got ready for bed (though Cas didn't actually sleep), kissing chastely before sliding into bed.

Sleep was welcomed to the hunter as the day's events caught up with him, and he slept soundly with his angel watching over him.

 ** _A/N yes this is Destiel, and it may get steamier in the future (you were warned in the story description). Un-beta'd so yeah…_**


	3. Chapter 3

'You know, I could get used to this teaching lark', Dean said around the croissant that was currently in his mouth, Team Free Will sat at the teachers table at the head of the Great Hall that Wednesday morning. The lessons of the previous day had gone surprisingly well, with only a few points taken away from a small group of students, and one detention assigned due to a near fatal mistake made by a seventh year. Cas had informed them that the students apparently found them both intimidating and inspiring, and so were aiming to stay in their good books.

'I know what you mean', Sam agreed, spooning some more Cheerios into his mouth. 'There's a charm to teaching kids how to defend themselves right?' he clarifies, to which Dean nods. The three novice teachers had two free periods until their lesson after Break. Sam tried not to focus on his nerves, knowing that as they would be teaching creature lore, that he would be taking the reins.

The students shuffled into the room, taking their respective seats, and looking to their teachers at the front of the class. There had been no assigned textbook for the class that year (which was unusual), but Hermione Granger had been quite vocal in her assumption that the class would be primarily hands on and physical due to this.

Judging from the attire of the teachers, she wasn't wrong.

Castiel had remained in his usual suit and trench coat; the Winchesters however, were both donning sweatpants and loose t-shirts. The students themselves had been instructed to also wear similar clothing, clothing that was appropriate for physical activity – something many of the pureblood females had a problem with (after all, they had been taught that a lady should _never_ get so active so as to work up an unappealing sweat).

'So, today we'll be working on creature lore', Sam started, going towards the projector. 'I know that we said that the physical lesson would be on Friday, and that is true for the most part. The bulk of your physical training will be then, however we'll be starting you with light exercise today', he informed them.

On the projector, a slide of a timetable popped up. 'This is your homework for the next two weeks. We will assign no other essays for that time', Sam said, pointing at the board. The timetable was a detailed regimen that the class had to follow for the next two weeks. Despite the groaning from the majority of the students, they all started to diligently copy the table down (remembering Dean's words of expectation of their attitude in the first lesson).

After that was done, and they looked back up, Sam continued. 'So, as you are probably all aware, when fighting people who have bad intentions, those people may not necessarily be… well, people', he said eloquently. 'If you come across a supernatural or magical being who can overpower you, the best thing would be to have knowledge on their weak points'.

A new slide popped up on the screen. 'We will teach you how to efficiently injure and/or kill the main arsenal of creatures we feel you may go up against in your life. The ones we will cover this term are: angels, demons, werewolves, vampires, shifters, and dementors. We have decided on these because they will put you on the offensive, and it is best to be prepared when facing them'.

Hermione raised her hand, and Sam called on her. 'Sir, I recognise that a lot of those creatures have often turned dark before, but I thought that there wasn't any sightings of demons or angels in thousands of years?' she asked, before looking at him expectantly for an answer.

With one raised eyebrow, he laughed. 'I can tell you now, even if that was true before, you can expect things to change soon'. With a sigh, his short burst of amusement gone, he exchanged looks with his brother.

'We have it on good authority that demon activity has increased, and will continue to do so over the next decade. You can be assured, with any deaths or casualties – let's say, the kind that comes with a magical war – will draw demons to a place like moths to a flame', he explained. 'Not only that, but with more deaths, there are more souls up for grabs. You'd be surprised at the amount of people who would literally sell their souls for menial things in times of war', he finished.

Draco raised his hand and spoke out before being called on, 'and what make you such an expert on demon activity?' he asked pompously.

Dean barked out laughter, the sound hollow and empty of actual humour, before answering. 'Well, seeing as I have actually been to hell, and Sammy has met the King of Hell… I'd say we know a lot about demons'. Hushed conversation broke out amongst the students, shock permeating the room. There was no doubt in their minds that Dean was speaking the truth, and this in itself was terrifying. A man who had been to hell, and come out sane (at least outwardly) stood before them.

'You've been to hell and back?' a girl near the back of the class whimpered. 'How?' the word slipped from her mouth in breathy fear.

'Well, that leads to the second part of young Miss Granger's question', Dean said, smiling at the kids in front of him like he didn't just tell them that he was a person back from the dead. 'My ass was pulled from hell by an angel', he told them, lifting up his t-shirt sleeve to show them a large burnt hand mark on his shoulder. Some students who had burnt themselves before winced in empathy, the mark looked like it hurt – then again, he'd been to hell, so it must have been welcomed if it meant he was out.

'And that leads on perfectly to today's lesson folks!' Sam said cheerfully. 'Today, we'll be learning how to stop an angel in smiting mode', he smiled. 'And get this. We're in luck, because we have our own angel to use instead of a diagram!'

Students throughout the room straightened in their seats, excitement on their faces… they were going to see a real angel, right in front of their eyes! Hermione Granger looked at the teachers in front of her, thought about the name of one and a book she had read years before, and gasped with a very audible 'oh!' which drew attention to her.

Smiling toothily at her (flashing his dimples in the process), Sam stated, 'well, it seems Miss Granger has worked it out. Care to inform the rest of the class?' he offered.

'Well, I don't suppose… it's just off something I read a while back… but… Castiel, the angel of Thursday?' she finished, voice teetering to become questioning at the end.

The heads that had been facing her swivelled back to the front in disbelief. Dean stalked forward and threw an arm around his angel's neck, ruffling his hair. 'Yup, you heard it here first folks. You have an angel for a teacher', he joked, ignoring Cas' exasperated look.

'Dean', he intoned, 'perhaps we should begin with the lesson?'.

'Yeah yeah, let's get on with it', Dean agreed. The student's, he noticed, all had their quills poised, and he smirked. Of course, they wouldn't be teaching the kids how to kill an angel until they absolutely had to… you could never take too many precautions, and no way would he let anyone in on how to kill Cas.

Huffing in exertion, the kids began to leave the room. The second half of the double period had been spent with them in pairs, with wooden 'angel blades' to practice on each other – when one student had suggested that they demonstrate the techniques taught on Castiel, Dean had blown up. There was no doubt in anyone's mind now that the three men would protect each other to the death, and some of the more intuitive students suspected there was a relationship between the angel and the older Winchester.

Harry fell back as the student's left, taking his time to pack up his stuff, and his friends followed his lead. As the final students floated out of the classroom, he walked up to Sam (who was the most approachable in his opinion) and handed him the parchment in his hand.

'This is a list of the people who will join me for extra training, and the reason why they're on the list. Is that okay?' he asked. Sam scanned over the writing.

Extra training

Hermione Granger ( _known best friend_ )

Ron Weasley ( _known best friend_ )

Fred, George and Ginny Weasley ( _family known to be 'blood traitors' and affiliated with me_ )

Neville Longbottom ( _very close friend – feel like he needs to be there_ )

Luna Lovegood ( _Ginny's friend; father writes out against Voldemort_ )

'Yeah, that seems to be fine Harry', Sam agreed, handing the list to his brother and his brother's partner so that they could look over it. They both nodded in assent.

'Where will we be training?' Hermione asked, looking around the classroom. 'Wouldn't it be fairly difficult to train in here?'.

'Yes, it would be', Castiel said. 'That is why we will be training in what is called the Room of Requirement. A group of elves informed me about the room, and it seems like the perfect place to train in. You will come to the seventh floor next to the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy at nine o'clock after breakfast on Saturday. Please do not be late'. Castiel then walked off to the office, Dean trailing behind him.

Sam grinned at the gobsmacked students. 'Don't worry, he's always abrupt like that', he chuckled, amused at their reactions. They left the room (Sam heard Hermione babbling to Ron about the room and how it was in Hogwarts: A History), before he called out to Harry.

The young boy, stood in the doorway as his friends walked on, looked back at the tall teacher. 'I just wanted to let you know, if there's anything you want to talk about, you can talk to me', Sam offered. 'I personally know what it's like to have the weight of the world on your shoulders, so feel free to come to me whenever you need'.

Harry stared at the teacher, his bright green eyes seeming to measure Sam's sincerity and worth. After a couple of tense moments, he nodded in assent, and left the room, the door closing quietly behind him.

Sam released the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding.

 ** _A/N so yeah, another chapter. Basically, I'm procrastinating because I have an essay to write for uni, and I really cba. Also, I just read a super-fluffly manga (called Haru Matsu Bokura for those of you who want to know), and as a result, am not feeling very educational right now. I'm more feeling 'When will my prince come for me' :'D_**


	4. Chapter 4

The three older men smiled warmly at the young students that appeared in the corridor, some still bleary eyed and yawning. Ron stifled an enormous yawn behind his palm, not wanting to set off a yawn-epidemic, and they all stared at their teachers in expectation.

Sam began to pace slowly back and forth before the giant tapestry (as had been instructed by the house elves), thinking hard in his head _'we need a sufficient place to train these students to defend themselves, somewhere that won't be found by those with malignant intentions'._ He hoped that the instructions were precise enough that the room would know what to do, as the elves had informed the trio that the more specific the instructions, the better protection they would have.

A large wooden door materialised in front of the group. The students stared in awe as the teachers led them inside the room provided.

The room that had been provided was spacious, as big as the Great Hall. It had one wall made entirely of mirrors, with a bookshelf adjacent to the far end of said wall. No doubt the books provided were all on defence. The room was also equipped with practice dummies, and various other training tools that would come in handy.

Leading the students over to the small circle of bean bags and cushions that were in the corner of the room, the three men plopped down and indicated the students should do the same.

'Since we're gonna be seeing so much of each other, we figure that we should be comfortable and familiar with each other', Dean outright said, getting straight to the point. 'So even though you all know each other; can you please introduce yourselves for our benefit? Tell us the basics, name, likes, dislikes, and dreams for the future. That cra-oof', he huffed as Sam elbowed him in the ribs.

'I'll go first', the tallest man said, flashing the group his dimples. 'I'm Sam Winchester. I like my brother Dean – sometimes anyway – and Castiel, I dislike people who hurt others purposefully. They are the people I classify as monsters. My dreams for the future… I guess it's peace, a place of happiness for myself', he finished, smiling at Harry, who was staring at him. The young boy smiled back shyly.

'I'm Dean. I like Cas, Sammy, my baby, and burgers. I dislike anyone who hurts Cas, Sammy, my baby, and stops me eating. My dreams for the future is to stick with my family through thick and thin', he listed off, pulling laughter from the students at his repetition. One of the freckled ginger boys raised their eyebrows, and looked to their mirror image.

'You say my baby', one said.

'Does that mean you're a dad?' the other continued.

Dean laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. 'Ah, sorry. I meant my car', he chuckled, voice a deep timbre. The students laughed with him.

'My name is Castiel, angel of the Lord. I like Dean, Sam, humanity, and the feeling of Dean kissing my neck', the last teacher said. He continued, oblivious to the red faces surrounding him, and the fact that Dean was coughing on air and Sam was in fits of silent laughter. 'I dislike those who hurt humanity, and I dislike those who endanger other beings. As I do not sleep, I also do not dream, so I have not had any dreams of the future', he said with finality. He turned to look at Hermione, who was sat next to him, naïve to the shock of those around him.

After a beat of silence, Hermione cleared her throat. 'Well, I'm Hermione. I like my friends, my family, and studying. I dislike those ignorant cockroaches that think they are above others just because of genealogy. My dreams for the future are to do well in school, make my parents proud, and live a long and accomplished life', she finished. The introductions went around the circle.

'I'm Harry. I like my friends, treacle tart, and my… dog, Snuffles. I dislike the crazy madman who already killed my parents and wants to kill me, and all of his disgusting followers. My dreams for the future are to surivive.'

'I'm Ron. I like my family and friends and food. I dislike school and the Slytherin's – bunch of evil bastards, I'm telling you that now. I'm not sure about my dreams for the future'.

'I'm N-Neville. I like herbology, my family, and those who I'm now realising are good friends. I dislike the same as Harry, You-Know-Who and his followers. My dream for the future is to become an accomplished herbologist'.

Now it was the introduction of the students that the trio didn't recognise (having not yet taught fourth or sixth year). They paid a little more attention to this group as they were unfamiliar to them. Castiel in particular looked quite interested in the little blonde girl with a spaced out look on her face.

'My name is Luna Lovegood. I quite like a lot of things. As well as that, I dislike many things too. My dreams for the future have yet to be revealed to me yet, unfortunately', she said dreamily. Castiel looked at her, and she met his gaze, smiling at him. He blinked, and then beamed back. Dean made a mental note to question his lover later on, and looked at the last girl.

'I'm Ginny Weasley. I like pretty much the same things as my brother, Luna being added as my best friend. I dislike those who judge others without getting to know them,' at this, she shot a glare at Ron, before continuing. 'My dream for the future is to survive the oncoming war – because I just _know_ there's going to be a war – and to prove to others that just because I'm small and a girl, it doesn't mean I can't fight or defend myself'.

Finally, the twin boys began to introduce themselves.

'Well, I'm Fred Weasley', one said.

'And I'm George', the other continued.

'We like our family and friends', Fred informed them.

'And we like to prank our family and friends', George added.

'We dislike Voldetort', Fred said, nose wrinkling.

'And the deathmuncher squad', George nodded.

'Our dream for the future is', Fred started.

'To own a successful joke shop', George finished.

Sam and Dean exchanged looks, smirking a little. The twins were amusing, and the two Winchesters were already excited from the other introductions – a pair of pranking twins made everything even better.

Clasping his hands and rubbing them together, Dean grinned maliciously at the group in front of him. 'We are going to have a _lot_ fun', he proclaimed, laughing inwardly at the gulps of the students. His tone made it clear that the students may just regret agreeing to extra training.

'Good, now GET YOUR LAZY ASSES UP AND JOGGING AROUND THE ROOM NOW! I WANT TEN LAPS DONE AND I WANT THEM DONE NOW!' he shouted, startling the youngsters into action. They immediately began to run, the sound of the teachers' laughter echoing in the room.

 _ **(break)**_

Dean walked into the common room, one towel around his waist, and another being used to dry his hair. Sam was sat on the rug in front of the fireplace, already in his pyjamas. They had trained the children all day, ranging from physical training to teaching them more advanced spellwork – of course the students had been assured that their teachers knew of the training, and so would be more lenient with homework.

Castiel sat on the sofa that seemed to be quickly becoming a loveseat for the angel and his lover.

'Before you can ask', Cas suddenly said, shocking the brothers, 'the reason I smiled at Luna is because she can _see_ ', Cas said reverently. At the questioning look he got from this, he elaborated. 'She can _see_ past what normal humans can. She can see monsters in their true forms, she can see creatures that humans can not usually perceive, she can _see_ my true form', he breathed.

Dean smiled, sitting down next to his best friend. 'And that's a good thing?' he asked, making sure. Cas nodded at him, wrapping his arms around Dean's naked torso and smiling exuberantly.

'Okay, before the two of you begin necking it', Sam quickly interjected, already recognising the loving (and though he hated to acknowledge it, lusty) looks overtaking the two men's eyes. 'What do we do about Harry's issues?'

Dean looked over his younger brother, seeming to consider the question. Then, he took a deep breath, before saying, 'I think you should take this part of the case Sammy'. At his younger brothers shocked looks, Dean explained: 'look, you can empathise with the kid a lot more than I can. You've been through more similar shit. And… well, he seems to look up to you. I think he wants to talk to you, judging from all his staring'.

The steady look in Dean's eyes convinced Sam that his older brother had made up his mine. The younger Winchester would just have to try and help the angst-ridden teen, and it didn't look like his older brother would be any help. Staring into the flames, Sam decided he would talk to Harry about his feelings as soon as the kid became familiar enough with him.

He glanced back at the other two occupants of the room and groaned. 'Can't you two at least wait until I'm out of the room before you start making out?!' he asked, before storming out of the room, leaving the two eating each other's faces.

His outbursts never registered in their minds anymore.

 ** _A/N sorry for the late update! Uni has kept me busy, and I haven't had time to write. Bit of a filler chapter, more drama to come in the next chapter – I've actually planned this story, so I can promise that. New SPN ep out tomorrow! Looks to be exciting! Keep Grinding :P_**

 ** _P.S. Hope you all like it! - unbetad, so am sorry for any mistakes_**


	5. Chapter 5

As the Monday morning lesson with the fifth years came to a close (in which the brothers had stood aside as Cas taught the teenagers how to cast a shield charm), Sam kept recalling his brother's words. If Dean thought that Sam would be the best person to talk to Harry, then there really was no other option. Dean, as bull-headed as he could be at times, was still oddly insightful when it came to anything important or case related. Anyway, the younger brother could admit to himself that he wanted to talk to the young boy. He felt a certain sense of kinship with the troubled teen.

The Gryffindor Four dawdled as the rest of their peers vacated the room, packing up their bags extra slowly. Once the final students had trickled out, they walked up to the students.

'My entire body is aching', Ron announced, by way of greeting. Dean chuckled, patting the young ginger on the back – and causing him to stumble forward – with vigour.

'Ah young grasshopper, we have barely started', he informed them. 'We eased you into the training on Saturday'. At the horrified looks he received (mainly from Ron), he chuckled again, this time joined by Sam in his amusement. Cas, of course, simply observed the scene with a small smile on his face.

'Harry, if you don't mind following me into my office? I'd like to have a chat with you', Sam indicated to the stairs leading to the office. The green-eyed boy looked at his friends, before nodding silently, and following the giant of a man. 'Don't worry, if the talk runs longer than recess, then I'll give you a note for your next teacher', Sam assured Harry, and again, he simply nodded.

Entering the office, Sam took a seat on the desk, and Harry took the seat in front of the desk. Sam wracked his brain on how to begin the conversation, how was he meant to get Harry to open up to him, a virtual stranger?

He was broken out of his thoughts by Harry's voice asking, 'Sir, are you alright?'.

'Yes, Harry, thank you for asking', Sam answered, before taking in a deep breath and steeling himself for the coming storm. 'I asked to talk to you today Harry, because I think you need to get some things off your chest,' Sam said. He smiled wryly shocked green eyes, so similar to his older brother's, met his own hazel ones. Seeing that Harry was about to protest, Sam quickly continued. 'Let me tell you a bit about myself before you decide whether you want to me, okay Harry?' the hunter asked, smiling brightly. At the affirmative, Sam began his story.

'Harry, I feel like I'll be able to understand the pressure of what you're under. You have a madman who killed your parents after you, and I've had something similar. When I was only six months old, a powerful demon killed my mother, because he wanted me for this grand plan of starting the apocalypse'. Sam paused, allowing Harry to absorb what he had said so far, and judging by the widening of his eyes, Harry took a couple of seconds to realise what the hunter had said. 'Yes, when I was a child, this demon was preparing me to start the apocalypse and release Lucifer from his cage in hell. The death of my mum hit my dad pretty hard, and both me and Dean grew up while travelling and hunting supernatural monsters. A few years ago, the apocalypse started, and I managed to defeat Lucifer by letting him possess my body, and then taking control and chucking myself into hell. Cas got me out about six earth months after I had fallen in'.

There was a long stretch of silence, as Harry tried to compute that his teacher had literally defeated Satan, and been to hell and back. This tall man in front of him must have been unbelievably strong to do something like that, and Harry couldn't wrap his head around the story. However, the teen now felt slightly more comfortable (and yet heaps more awed) to talk to the man.

'Sir, that's… that's…' he tried to say, not quite knowing how to sum up his reaction to the story.

Sam laughed, _laughed_ , even after everything he had been through and said, 'yeah, it's hard to put into words how to feel right?'. At Harry's nod, Sam gave him a warm smile, and asked 'so, how do you feel about talking to this old guy about your troubles?'

Swallowing past the lump that had suddenly appeared in his throat, Harry looked down at his hands as they rested on his lap. 'Well, I just don't know how to feel right now sir,' the boy admitted, looking up at the teacher. At the encouraging nod he received, he continued.

'Well, for one, I'm just not being told anything! I mean, Voldemort is after me, and anyone attached to me! And yet I'm the one who's being left in the dark! Then there's the fact that my Godfather has to be stuck in his horrible house, even though he's miserable there, just because people think he's evil. No one believed me when I said that he wasn't. Then there's the fact that the wizarding world thinks I'm a psycho', the boy ranted, voice getting steadily louder, which Sam didn't comment on. Best he let Harry vent his anger a bit.

'The freaking wizarding world just expects me to save their arse, and be their golden boy hero, but when I say something serious, they won't listen! And to make things worse, Dumbledore is bloody leaving me with the Dursley's all the time! He won't even fucking look at me, and he leaves me with my bloody family WHO TREAT ME LIKE A FUCKING HOUSE ELF!' the boy finished, panting with exertion, standing in front of the hunter.

Sam put a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder, and led him to sit back down. 'Harry, I'm so sorry. Your life, I hope you don't mind me saying, sounds like shit', the hunter admitted, and the teen laughed sadly. His life was shit.

A knock was heard at the door, and Dean and Cas walked in. 'We heard shouting, and thought you might need help Sammy', the older Winchester said, taking the seat behind the desk. Cas stood beside his partner.

Ignoring his brother, Sam continued, 'Harry, I agree that it's not right that things are being kept from you. I know first-hand that things being kept a secret can lead to some very bad consequences', Sam said, throwing a half-hearted glare at his older brother.

Dean snorted, and tried to jest with Harry. 'He's testy because I didn't tell him that I sold my soul for him, and so I ended up in hell for a year', he told the young boy.

'Wait, you've been to hell too?!' Harry burst out in surprise, and the brothers nodded.

'Yup, Cas got us both out', Dean explained, taking his angels hand and nuzzling the palm. The older Winchester felt weirdly comfortable around the wizard sat in the office, he had the same feel as Sammy. 'We know what it's like to feel like the fate of the world rests on your shoulders kid, you can talk to us whenever you need', he said gruffly, tone warm and eyes sincere.

Harry's eyes became blurry as he teared up, and he sniffed to try and stop the tears. These men were being so nice to him, even though it sounded like their lives had been worse than his. 'It's just not fair, you know?' he whispered. 'I just want a normal life, why did Voldemort have to come after me?' he asked, one tear escaping his eye and sliding down his cheek. Once again, he looked at his hands.

Rough male hands placed themselves over his own, and he looked up at his comforter. Surprise filled him as he saw that Castiel, the somewhat stoic angel, was the one kneeling in front of him. Glancing up at the Winchester brothers, he could see that they were also mildly surprised by the angel's actions.

'Harry', the angel began in his gravelly voice, 'I'm sorry for what you have had to deal with. No doubt, heaven also feels regret for your life, this was never written for you. While it is true that you must face Voldemort, that is something that has been planned for centuries, you should not have had to have such a horrible life', Cas informed the distraught boy.

Harry, mind reeling with what he had heard, ripped his hands out of the mans. 'Wait, what do you mean it's been _written_ that I have to face Voldemort?' he asked, shock painting his question.

Cocking his head to the side, Cas simply answered, 'it has been prophesised that either you must defeat Voldemort, or he will kill you and dominate the world. Has Albus Dumbledore not told you?'.

Harry jumped out of his seat, and ran from the office, leaving his bag and the door wide open in his rush.

'Dean, I believe I have made things worse', Cas said gravely. If the situation had been different, the brothers would have laughed. However, the situation meant that someone they saw as their charge was panicking and upset, and probably needed their help.

'Yeah, Cas, I'd say you did', Dean affirmed, before following his brother who ran out after the boy.

 ** _(break)_**

'-EVER GOING TO TELL ME?! I HAVE TO BLOODY KILL VOLDEMORT OR HE'LL TAKE OVER THE WORLD, HOW COULD YOU HIDE SOMETHING LIKE THIS FROM ME?!' they heard Harry shouting before they even entered the office.

There they were met by the sight of Harry raging at Albus Dumbledore, who was sat at his desk, an unreadable expression on his face.

'I'm sorry Harry', the venerable wizard said, lowering his head in shame. 'I simply wanted to protect you, preserve your childhood for as long as possible', he said, before waving his wand and s conjuring a ball of light in the middle of the room. 'I suppose there's no reason to keep the prophecy from you anymore'.

The ball of light transformed into the figure of Sybil Trelawney, and began to rasp:

' _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..._ '

Harry's eyes bugged out of their sockets, his face getting steadily redder. He walked over to a coffee table, picking up an unidentifiable gold trinket. 'YOU FUCKING BASTARD', he bellowed, hurling the object at the stunned headmaster, before storming over to Team Free Will. He grabbed hold of Sam's hand, and tried to drag the large man out of the room with him.

Sam held steady, wanting to say something before he left. He turned to the headmaster, face disapproving and accusing. 'You had no right to hide something like this from him', he stated, before allowing the chosen one to drag him out of the office. Of course, Dean and Cas followed right after, all of them presenting a unified front.

 ** _A/N sorry it took so long to upload! I find it hard to organise my time so that I can write, sorry! Hope you like it though :)_**


	6. Chapter 6

Sam leads Harry towards his quarters, Dean and Cas following closely behind. The small green-eyed boy had quickly become a younger brother figure in Sam's eyes, and judging by Dean's words earlier and Cas' attempts at comforting him, the other two felt the same. With that in mind, Sam decided he would help Harry as much as he could through the year, as he wouldn't be able to live with himself if the young wizard had to face everything alone, without adult support.

Once they got to the rooms, Dean sat Harry on the sofa, and indicated that his brother and his partner find seats elsewhere – they chose to sink to the floor onto the rug and looked up that the tallest man expectantly. Sam picked up a blanket that was hung over the side of the sofa, and wrapped it around Harry.

'Harry, I'm truly sorry for informing you about your destiny in such a way', Cas piped up from his position next to Dean. 'It was very insensitive of me, and I should have been more tactful', he said, shame coating his tone. Both Dean and Sam, who had gotten used to reading past Cas' seemingly blank face, could see the down-turn of his mouth and the small crinkles on his forehead; he was really upset that he had hurt Harry.

The wizard seemed to be very intuitive, as he just smiled tiredly at the angel. 'It's okay sir, I know you were only trying to help'. He shrugged. 'At least now I know, who knows when Dumbledore would have told me'.

Sam sat down next to the boy, patting his shoulder in comfort. Harry looked at him, eyes misty with unshed tears. 'It's just, I _trusted_ him', he confesses brokenly. 'I thought he was like a grandpa or something, who had my best interests at heart… but really, he's just been using me'.

Sam's eyebrows furrow at this. 'What do you mean?' he can't help but ask.

'If the prophecy is right, then all the crap that's happened to me must have been his fault', Harry speculated, the three men focusing all of their attention on him. 'Hogwarts is meant to be one of the safest places in the UK, and Dumbledore is meant to be one of the strongest wizards ever seen…' he says, before biting his lip as he hesitates.

'Go on', Dean says gruffly, masking the anger he felt inside. If someone was manipulating the kid, then they had better run, because Dean wasn't going to let what happened to Sammy happen to Harry as well.

'Well… he should have been able to stop everything that happened to me over the past four years right? If he's so smart and wise, then how did he not know that Quirrel was possessed by a spirit in first year? Or that there was a basilisk in the school in the second? I mean, _Hermione_ figured it out for Merlin's sake, and while she is super smart, she was only a second year. How could she figure it out, and he couldn't? And then there was fourth year, if Hogwarts was so safe, how was it possible that a disguised death eater could get into the school? Dumbledore should have realised something was wrong, he's known Moody for so long. It just doesn't add up… I think he's been testing me', Harry concludes.

Dean mulls this over. 'It could be possible', he concedes after a moment. Turning to his brother he says, 'it sounds kind of similar to Ruby's manipulations Sammy', causing Sam to flinch but nod in agreement.

'Harry is probably correct', Cas intones. 'However, do not forget that Albus Dumbledore may be under the influence of something dark as well', he reminds the two hunters.

'What do you mean?' Harry asks.

'One reason we came to this school is because Fawkes, the phoenix, contacted us for help as his partner's aura is different. Dark', Castiel informs the boy. 'So, I would advise that you're very careful around him until we can sort things out, be vigilant around him'.

Harry nods, and sighs, resting his head in his hands.

The young wizard looks awful, the three men note. He has dark bruises under his eyes from lack of sleep, his skin is stretched over his bones in a grotesque way so it looks as if he's been starved. Remembering the exclamation about his family, Sam kneels in front of the boy.

'Harry', he says quietly. 'I promise you, we are going to help you as much as we can. We won't keep anything from you unless absolutely necessary, and we'll see what we can do about your family as well', he promises, the firmness in his voice and eyes displaying his sincerity.

Harry nodded, blinking back the tears he felt would fall (and snorting internally, he seemed to be crying a _lot_ recently). 'Thank you, sir', he choked out.

Sam brightly at him, ruffling his hair. 'Hey, I think we can pass the whole sir thing. Call me Sam', he said, grinning at the boy.

'Yeah, and call me Dean kid. Call Cas whatever you want, he probably doesn't even the see the point in names or something stupid like that', Dean snorts, dodging out of the way as Cas half-heartedly swipes at him.

'Okay', Harry smiles nervously.

'Now, about your health', Sam brings up. 'You clearly need to eat more, so adding to the training regime, we are going to give you a food chart to follow. You need more fat, which will later become muscle. We need to bulk you up Harry'. Sam frowns at the small boy worriedly for a moment, but then pulls out a pen and some paper to note down the diet he wants Harry to follow.

'Hey Cas', he says suddenly. 'Are there any magical or supernatural supplements or anything Harry can take to speed up the bulking up process?' he asks the angel, who thinks for a second before nodding. 'Do you think you could get some?'

'I shall have the house elves place it in front of Harry during his meals. They are exceptionally helpful beings, and very wise. They hold a lot of respect for Harry, as they should', Cas says, monotone. Harry blushes slightly, at the roundabout praise.

'Good', Sam states, handing Harry the paper. 'Now, I can see that you're not getting good sleep. Why is that?' Sam asks the boy.

'I… well, I've been having nightmares. They'r not really scary though, they're just weird. I'm always in a black corridor, looking at a door which I feel like I need to go through', Harry tells the men in front of him, trusting that _they_ might actually be able to help.

Cas jumps up, swiftly moving across the room so that he can place to fingertips to Harry's forehead. 'Wha-?!' Harry begins, before being shushed by both Sam and Dean. After a minute of silence, where Harry feels ridiculous as an angel touches his head, Cas sighs and steps back.

'It is as I feared', he says gravely. 'Harry, you are not having nightmares, you are having visions. These are forcefully being placed in your head – they are trying to lead you to the prophecy room in your ministry. I would wager a guess that the one who calls himself Voldemort wants you to go and collect the prophecy, and perhaps even ambush you there'.

Dean _growls_ in anger, causing Harry to jump in shock. 'Seriously! Can't they just fucking just leave the kid alone?!' he asks, looking at Cas, who shakes his head sadly.

'What should I do?' Harry asks.

'I believe we have to talk to your headmaster again', Cas says, voice actually revealing his displeasure at the man. 'Don't worry, we'll be with you the entire time', the angel comforts the boy.

They head to the Headmaster's office, just as united as they were when they left.

 ** _A/N I know the general way that I'm taking this story, so I hope the plot is easy enough to follow. Again, un-betad, so I'm sorry for any mistakes. Hope you like it :)_**


	7. Chapter 7

The door slammed open as a distraught Harry stormed into their quarters (the hunters had agreed that the wizard should be given the password in case he needed them). After informing the Headmaster about Harry's visions, the old man had decided that Harry would have to have Occlumency lessons with Professor Severus Snape in order to protect any valuable information that Harry might have inside his head. Harry had been adamant that it should be a different teacher – something the three hunters noted in the back of their minds – but Dumbledore would not be swayed.

Seeing Harry's reaction as he slammed the door behind him, after the first lesson, it was clear to the hunters that the venerable wizard had probably made the wrong choice.

'That complete and utter BASTARD', Harry shouted as we threw himself onto the sofa, breaths coming out harshly in his anger. His entire form was shaking with repressed feeling, and he proved this by attacking a pillow that was on the sofa. 'That. Complete. And. Utter. Bastard.' he repeated, punctuating each word with a punch.

Dean, feeling this form of anger was more his area of expertise than Sammy's, moved forward to kneel in front of the boy. 'What's wrong Harry, explain it to us', he ordered calmly.

'That fucking arsehole Snape, he's what's wrong!' he exploded. 'He didn't try to fucking teach me anything! He just bloody attacked my mind over and over. He didn't fucking tell me how to block him or anything, he just attacked me!' Harry shouted, and Dean patted him on the arm, glancing over at Castiel.

Cas stepped forward, again touching his fingers to Harry's head, and shocked his two comrades as he let out a guttural growl. Anger distorted his face, his usual stoic features almost unrecognisable in their new positions. The blue of his eyes darkened, his fists clenched, and he looked meaningfully at Dean before disappearing. The sound of his wings was the only sound that rang through the room for a moment, as the shocked wizard looked at the empty spot in front of him (because as far as he knew, no one should be able to apparate in Hogwarts).

'You're really making us run all over the castle today, aren't ya kid', Dean said, getting up and shucking his jacket on. Harry automatically followed the large man out of the room, flanked by the younger Winchester. After a second, he realised which way they were going, and would have stopped, had Sam not put a firm hand on his back and forced him to continue walking.

'I don't want to see that greasy bat again today!' he complained.

'We're not going for you kid', Dean said gruffly. 'We're going to make sure Cas doesn't kill your teacher. Never seen him so angry, whatever he saw in your head must have really riled him up', Dean commented. They walked leisurely to the dungeons, which Harry thought was odd considering the two men apparently wanted to stop murder, but he didn't comment.

They reached the dungeons, and Snape's office, to hear a thud which sounded like flesh hitting flesh. With a sigh, Dean pushed the heavy wooden door open, and pulled Castiel off of the black-clad wizard, who was being straddled by the angel and punched in the face. Hair dishevelled and lip split, Harry was surprised to see that Snape still maintained his usual sneer.

'I'm sure the headmaster would be interested to hear of your attack on my person', the Potion's master drawled, eyes trained on Castiel's form. He glanced quickly at Harry, face twisting in anger, before it quickly smoothened out again. The look wasn't missed by the three hunters, and the two Winchesters (who didn't even know _why_ Cas was angry) quickly came to the conclusion that maybe the young wizard wasn't safe around this man.

'How dare you', Cas growled. 'How dare you attack, how dare you _rape_ , that boys mind in such a way?' he asked, moving forward again to hit the smarmy man.

'I can't say I know what you mean', Snape replied, no evidence of guilt found in his voice.

'You dare lie to me? I can see inside your ugly little mind Severus Snape, your shields do nothing to keep _me_ out', Castiel proclaimed. 'I can see the hatred you harbour for Harry, for no reason whatsoever except for who sired him, and I can _see_ that you are well aware that your methods of teaching him to protect his mind won't work'. Snape paled at these words, but Castiel wasn't finished. 'You haven't given Harry any instruction, haven't told him of any of the various tomes that he could read for extra information, haven't even allowed him breaks between your molestation of his mind! You can go ahead and tell Albus Dumbledore of this if you want, however I have _evidence_ that your actions were not in Harry's best interests. If you take this to the Headmaster, I will have no choice but to do the same'.

'So what?' Snape asked. 'What do you hope to achieve by doing that?'.

'Well Severus Snape, how assured are you of your position? Do you really think Albus Dumbledore will choose you over Harry Potter?' Castiel asked, effectively stopping Snape's retort.

The Potion master's mouth snapped shut, and he glared at the group in front of him. 'What _exactly_ will we do now? It seems I will be unable to… teach Mr Potter without him running snivelling to you about my methods, so how exactly do you expect him to protect his mind?' the man sneered.

'I will instruct Harry on strengthening his mind's defenses', Castiel said. 'That was the course of action I originally wanted, but the Headmaster wouldn't hear of it. I'm sure _you_ will keep quiet about this change in plans, yes?' Cas asked, sounding almost smug.

Glaring, Snape agreed and ordered them to leave his domain. They did so without complaint.

 ** _(break)_**

Harry sighed in bliss. Castiel had gotten rid of his headache with a quick touch to the forehead, and ordered the wizards to sit in front of the fireplace. The two, wizard and angel, sat cross-legged opposite each other on the rug.

'Harry, what I am going to do is allow you to feel your minds natural defences', Castiel instructed. 'Once you can feel them, are aware of them, it should be quite simple for you to adjust them so that they are stronger, have you got that?' he asked, and the wizard nodded.

Castiel once again touched Harry's forehead (something Harry was fast identifying as the angel's power move), and the wizard reeled back in shock as he felt a heaviness in his mind that he hadn't before.

Heaviness may not have been the best way to describe it; it was more a pressure that Harry was now aware of, but it didn't cause him discomfort. Eyebrows furrowing in concentration, Harry closed his eyes, and prodded at the feeling with his mind. His imagination was giving him the image of a sheet of cling-film wrapped around his brain, and Harry guessed that this must be the defences he had.

Well, the boy decided that this wouldn't do. He slowly built up a brick wall in place of the cling-film, using three layers of bricks. It was a longer process than he thought it would be, his imagination not allowing him to simply conjure up the wall, rather making him assemble it brick by brick.

'Yes, that's it. Keep going Harry', the boy heard Castiel murmur, and with this encouragement, he continued.

Once the wall was built, he added a moat around the outskirts of it, and added up facing spikes just inside. Instead of just having one form of defence, Harry figured some offensive manoeuvres might come in handy. Barbed wire was placed along the wall, and Harry filled the moat with the brain equivalent of acid – he placed the feelings that came with his worst and most painful memories in the moat, but without the information that was attached. Should someone try to entre his mind, they would first have to go through his hurt and bad emotions (maybe the feelings would even discourage the intruders from venturing further).

Feeling confident in the defences, he opened his eyes to gaze at the angel in front of him.

Said angel had a small smile on his face. 'Well done Harry', he commended. The wizard glowed at the praise, a warm feeling growing in his chest.

 ** _A/N finally updated. Hope you like it, it's somewhat of a filler. Next chapter, you'll be finding out what's wrong with Dumbledore._**

 ** _I also realise that some people may be offended at my portrayal of Snape. However, I dislike Snape as a character (though I admit his complexity is interesting, and he is well written). After analysis, I just don't like his character, I think that his negatives were too high to be redeemed. But, that is my opinion. If my opinion puts you off reading this story, then I apologise, but I won't be changing it just to cater to those who disagree with me. Artistic liscence should mean that I can write characters as I like._**


	8. Chapter 8

'I can't allow you to do this', Dumbledore said, head bent. The headmaster was sat at his desk, glasses resting on his hooked nose, and fingers intertwined under his chin. He looked every part the strong and knowing master. The other occupants of the room fumed silently at his grandfather persona, considering he was reprimanding them for helping where someone else was hindering. 'I cannot allow you to mess with a student's mind, in such a way, it is unethical', he pointed out, looking directly at Castiel. The angel put an arm around the boy stood next to him, pushing the young wizard behind his body slightly. Harry was clearly not safe around this man.

'What's unethical is the assault of Harry's mind by one of _your_ teachers', Castiel defended, glaring at the wizened old man. Castiel noted that Fawkes was missing from the office, a worrying fact, considering the fire bird had been doing his best to keep the darkness impinging on Dumbledore at bay. 'What I have done means that Tom Riddle will be completely _unable_ to breach Harry's mind, and that is the best result for all of us', Castiel explained.

Something flashed in Dumbledore's eyes, before they quickly returned to their regular twinkle. Castiel spotted it though. The headmaster evidently knew that Harry's mind was best defended due to Castiel's actions, and this angered him for some reason.

Castiel mulled over this quickly. If Harry had continued the training with Severus Snape in the way they had begun, then instead of building up his defences, his mind would have left wide open for attack. Tom Riddle would have had a free reign of Harry's innermost thoughts and feelings, and the young wizard may not have even realised he was being spied on. So how would that benefit Albus Dumbledore? Did he want Harry to face Tom or something of that like?

With that thought, Castiel's eyes widened by a fraction. The thought had triggered something within the room, and the angel could just about see the murky and blurred swirls of red mist surrounding the headmaster. The wisps of mist caressed the old man as he sat at his desk, seemingly unaware of his ethereal surroundings. They tangled around him ominously, and looked to be entering Albus' body through his eyes, which now could be seen to have a dull look to them.

Castiel's eyes quickly, but discreetlt, followed the red mist tendrils to their origins. When he reached it, it took all of his training in the garrison not to react. He deliberately kept his eye trained away from the malicious figure hovering over Albus Dumbledore, the smile gracing it's face terrifying and sinister.

He glared at the headmaster, before snapping 'I will continue to help Harry build his defences Headmaster, regardless of your wants. This goes beyond my job as a teacher, it now falls to be to a responsible adult for Harry to depend on, since he doesn't seem to have many of those in his life'. He spun around, pulling Harry gently with him, and left the office.

 ** _(break)_**

Castiel slouched on the sofa, hands over his face, trying to think up a game plan. The two brothers watched the angel, knowing to leave him to think, but worried as to why this had occurred so quickly. Both Dean and Sam knew that Castiel would have to explain what he did with Harry to the headmaster, but they didn't expect the angel to get in trouble because of it, and they certainly hadn't expected to see the angel snapping that the venerable wizard. It had been quite a shock for the two of them when the angel had stormed in with Harry, cast an arsenal of protective spells on the room, and thrown himself onto the sofa with vigour.

As for Harry, the boy had retreated to his spot on the rug in front of the fire. His eyes were closed as he sat in the yoga position Cas had taught him, eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he worked to sort and make sense of what had happened in the office earlier that afternoon.

Suddenly it clicked. His eyes flew open and he looked over at the angel.

'You figured it out didn't you?', he asked quietly. 'You know what's wrong with Professor Dumbledore, and why he's changed so much this year?'.

Castiel sighed from behind his hands, and then sat up straight. He looked straight into Harry's eyes, sparkling green clashing with bright blue, before taking his spot in front of Harry. He placed his hands on Harry's shoulders and squeezed lightly, trying to comfort the boy, to prepare him for what was to come.

The two hunters also sat on the floor by the two magical/mystical beings, grateful that they would finally be getting some answers.

'From what I can tell Harry, your headmaster is being manipulated by a very powerful being', Castiel informed the boy, hushing him when he looked as if he was going to interrupt. 'I believe the being is an old Greek god called Ares, the god of War', Castiel said, hearing Sam gasp next to him.

'Wait, Cas, a _Greek god?'_ , Sam clarified, shocked at what they would have to face. They'd faced minor gods before, but Ares was one of the big twelve, one of the Olympians.

Dean however was calmer than he had been for a while. Sure, it would be hard to beat a god of war, but it wasn't anything they hadn't faced before. He'd ganked god's already, so this one shouldn't be any different.

'All right Cas, so what do you know about the situation?' Dean asked his angel, wanting to know all the bases before they went for the hunt.

'What I know of the god of War, the only thing that would affect the Headmaster to this day, is that he can make deals with people of power to prevent or begin wars', Castiel informed the group. 'Harry, has there been a time in Dumbledore's past that you're aware of, in which he was in a war?' he asked the boy. The angel had his suspicions about the length of time that Dumbledore had been manipulated due to the strength of his tethers, but he kept them to himself for the moment.

Harry closed his eyes, looking into his very limited historical knowledge, before the answer came to him. 'Dumbledore did defeat a Dark wizard called Grindelwald a hundred years ago or something. He was reigned a hero because of it', Harry informed the hunters.

'I see', Castiel said in a pained voice. 'I believe I know the origin of this then. If Dumbledore did in fact make a deal with Ares to win the war against Grindelwald, then Ares was well within his right to demand a payment. I fear that the payment he decided on was… a war for a war. By preventing a war with Grindelwald, Ares was deprived of all the souls of those who would have died in the war'.

Castiel sighed, wondering if he should continue, as Harry would be upset by the next part. He looked into the wizard's eyes, lightly brushing against his mind. He only found determination, with a hint of anger, and so decided to continue with the theory.

'Due to the strength of manipulation magic I could see around Dumbledore, I do believe that Ares has been puppeteering Dumbledore for quite some time already. Some twenty years is what I estimate. I can guess that he planned for a war with Tom Riddle to occur, so that he could have souls to consume – a magical war would be more filling for a god than a mundane one'.

Silence fell in the room after he finished. Sam and Dean exchanged looks, before looking at Harry with worry. The boy seemed to be quivering with anger, his entire body vibrating. A shockwave of power burst from his small frame, knocking the large men to the walls of the room, and an unconscious Harry was left lying in the centre of the rug. The fire was snuffed.

 ** _A/N sorry the update took so long. Hope you enjoy it._**


	9. Chapter 9

Sam groaned, clutching his throbbing head, which seemed to be bleeding slightly. He looked up to see Castiel hovering over him, a quick touch to the forehead healing the pain. He glanced past the angel to see that Harry was wrapped in a blanket with a mug of something hot, sat by the fireplace with Dean. The poor boy looked pale and sickly, no doubt the explosion of power having had taken its toll on him.

Sam hobbled over, dropping to sit next to the boy, and patting him lightly on the back.

'I'm so sorry', Harry said, looking down, voice sombre.

'I already told you kid', Dean replied gruffly, cutting over whatever Sam was going to say. 'It's not your fault you were screwed over; you're allowed to react like that when hearing something so horrible'.

Sam nodded in agreement, Castiel smiling awkwardly at the upset boy – Harry could feel their sincerity shining through the words, so he flashed the older men a small grin.

'So Cas, any idea what to do here?' Sam asked the angel, instinctively knowing that the celestial being would know the most about what they were dealing with. It's not like they hadn't dealt with gods before, it's just that they hadn't been expecting to deal with one here, especially with other powerful beings around.

'Well, I believe we should attempt to fight fire with fire in this case', Castiel informed the brothers, aware that Harry was listening avidly to the plans. No doubt the young wizard would appreciate being involved in the planning, considering that he was always kept in the dark about everything (something that Ares would prefer, naturally).

'Wait, Cas, you can't mean to do magic or something like that right?' Dean asked, anger already evident in his tone. 'You know we don't get involved in that crap!' he argued, looking as if he was about to get up and storm out. Castiel placed a calming hand on his lovers' leg, looking at him steadily, making Dean sit back down and wait for an explanation.

'In this case, I don't know if we have a choice', Castiel sighed. 'Albus Dumbledore is a man with immense power, and Ares has had his claw in him for so long. Not only that, but Ares is one of the twelve Olympians. It will be very tough for us to beat him ourselves', he explained.

'So… what do you think we should do?' Sam asked him.

'I think we should attempt to invoke Hecate, the goddess of magic. I believe that she will feel personally wronged by Ares' actions, because the world of magic and witchcraft falls in her domain', Castiel said.

All of a sudden, the four in the room hear a bang, heads snapping towards the sound. Sam sees a flash of black flapping in the small space in which the door had been open.

'Shit!', he exclaimed, jumping up. 'Someone was eavesdropping!' he shouted, running for the door to give chase to the listener. He heard movement behind him, indicating that his brother was also running after him.

The tall man ran into the corridor and spotted Snape walking briskly away from their room. With his general direction, his speed, and his black cape, the hunter automatically knew that it had been the potions professor who had overheard their plans.

'Hey! Snape, stop!' he bellowed, running after the hook-nosed man. Snape looked over his shoulder, spotting his pursuer, and began to run too – towards Dumbledore's office.

Unfortunately, the professor hadn't realised that his students would be in that corridor too. Draco Malfoy had at that very moment cast a slicing hex at a young Gryffindor's bag, in an attempt to bully the young child, but the hex never reached the carrier. Instead, it was intercepted by the running potions professor, who ran straight into the line of fire.

The hex sliced right through his clothing, soaking the black with a deep red, and Snape grunted at the unexpected pain. He staggered towards the wall, trying to find something to steady him.

The next few events were just bad luck, considering the man's usually helpful and formidable cloak got caught in a suit of armour as he stumbled, and his already unsteady footing meant that he fell straight down the stone steps of Hogwarts. The fall seemed to last for eons until THUD.

Sam watched in horror as the professor he had been chasing fell, headfirst, down the stairs. He heard a girly scream (it was actually Draco Malfoy), and quickly instructed Dean to keep the students away from the area.

He ran down the stairs, picking up the limp black-clad professor, and ran to the infirmary. The matron jumped to assist him as soon as he burst in, and he waited nervously for the verdict. Sure, the man pissed him off, but Sam didn't wish him dead or anything.

Madame Pomfrey came towards him about half an hour late, where he was sat with his brother, his angel friend and young Harry.

'I'm sorry to say that Severus has passed away', she informed the men, sniffling. 'I tried my best to save him, but his spine had snapped. While this could have been fixed, unfortunately Severus lost a lot of blood. It seems that the cutting curse you described… removed his genitalia, which is why his blood loss was so high'.

Dean snorted in typical crassness, and Sam stomped on his foot to get him to shut up.

The three men looked up in shock however, when Harry jumped up suddenly.

'Why did you have to chase him like that, now another person is dead, and it's my fault!' he burst out, running away from the team. Sam looked as if he was going to go after the boy, but Dean stopped him. The young wizard probably just needed some time alone. It had been a long day.

 _ **A/N I'm finally done with the year at uni so I should be able to update more often. Please try not to get angry or whatever at what happens in this story, artistically, I can write what I want. If you don't like it, don't read it. But yeah... I have everything planned out, so nothing anyone says will affect the plot anyway.**_


	10. Chapter 10

Sam groaned at the pounding headache he was suffering, trying to ignore his older brother who was acting disgustingly loved up in their kitchen unit. It had been a day since Snape had… passed away, and Harry was still avoiding the Americans.

Dean believed that the young wizard was simply coming to terms with the death of his bullying teacher, but Sam had a feeling it was something different.

He hears a timid knock on their door, and goes to answer, smiling lightly when he sees that it is Harry. However, the smile drops from his face when Harry just looks at him, cold and unfeeling. He allows the younger boy into the room, a sense of worry taking over. Harry, while distant in the beginning, was never a _cold_ person.

'I've decided I want you to leave me alone, to deal with my problems', he suddenly announces, standing in front of the fireplace. This announcement is met with silence, Dean and Cas stopping their canoodling in shock, and it's so quiet in the room that Sam can actually hear the fire crackling.

'Why kid?' Dean asks, a small part of anger evident in his voice.

Harry glances at him, before summing up succinctly, 'you're too rough for this kind of thing. I know Snape was a bastard to me, but even I wouldn't laugh at his death the way that you did'. His eyes flash in anger as he says this, clearly very upset and Dean's callousness at the infirmary. 'How can I trust you when you laugh about things like that? I don't want to be around people like you!' he bursts out, before stalking out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

'Well shit', Dean grumbles. 'That could have gone better'.

 ** _(break)_**

'…just don't trust them anymore', Harry explains to his friends, who are all sitting in front of him sombrely. Harry himself still can't believe that men he was beginning to respect and look up to would be so horrible as to laugh about death. He just couldn't understand how someone could get to a point in their lives where they didn't see the importance of every life.

'It's okay Harry, everything will work out', Luna inputs dreamily, a knowing glint in her usually kind eyes.

 ** _(break)_**

Team Free Will decide that, while Harry is ignoring them, they can at least be somewhat productive and (in Dean's words) 'take down some racist evil bastards' that night. Loading up their guns, making sure all of their equipment is in good condition, the three set off to the Headmaster's office.

'What can I do for you gentlemen?' Dumbledore asks. Both Dean and Sam leave the talking to Cas, trying to catch a glimpse of the so called war god that was controlling the ancient man – of course they were unable to since they couldn't see things on different planes of existent, unlike their angel teammate, but that didn't stop them from trying.

'We would like to make some plans for the upcoming battles', Castiel informs the wizards, 'and so we need to talk at your headquarters to the other people who are involved'. He looks at Dumbledore calmly, using all of his training at the garrison to prevent his eyes being drawn to the scary deity that was grinning maliciously behind Dumbledore (no doubt happy at the thought of a battle).

'Of course, of course', Dumbledore says, getting up from behind his desk. 'I shall send you there now', he explains, grabbing a handful of grey powder and heading towards the huge fireplace. 'Have you ever travelled by floo before?' he asks the men, and chuckles when all shake their heads in the negative.

'Well, you should enjoy this then', he says, throwing the powder into the flames. Huge emerald flames jump up in the fireplace, and Dumbledore hands the men a piece of paper. 'Step into the fireplace and read this', he instructs them.

Though they are dubious, Team Free Will follow his instructions (having read about Floo Travel in their research), and step into the flames.

Castiel reads '12 Grimmauld Place' off the paper, and the three men are gripped by the uncomfortable feeling of being put into a blender, as they are pulled into the flames, spinning the entire time, and then spat out into a shadowed house.

'Company?!' someone barks, and Sam looks up to see a handsome man of their age, his black wavy locks framing his face, and grey eyes glittering. His face is gaunt, like he has been starved for a while, but he looks relatively healthy – Sam notes that this is the prison escapee (Sirius Black) that had been all over the British news a few years earlier, and so is immediately on guard.

'Didn't think Dumbledore would be sending anyone to see me for a while', Sirius says, getting up from his seat at the table to help the men up off the floor.

'Err, we came here to plan an attack', Sam mumbles out. 'You can help with that right?' he asks softly. He senses a kindred soul in this man, similar to Dean's, like the man has also been to hell and back. From what Sam has read up on Azkaban, the wizarding prison, he can assume that the man has.

'Sure! What are you after?' Sirius asks.

'We just wanna kills some douchebags, you down?' Dean explains, and immediately takes a liking to the man who grins evilly at his words, who immediately grabs his wand off the table and summons a bunch of papers.

'Hell yeah, and I have just the group I want to take down!'

 ** _A/N I promise I'll try to update more regularly guys! Have been super busy cause of work and stuff. Also, crying because I think Britain has been taken over by an elitist Voldemort because Brexit actually happened, and I'm sobbing._**


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